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None of us had any real idea what the land was worth, so we split the cost of an appraisal. Winnie and I were disappointed when the appraisal showed the value to be significantly more than we could afford. Nonetheless, the owners suggested that we talk over lunch at their house. It turned out that the minimum that the sellers wanted from the sale was close to the maximum that Winnie and I could pay. We worked out a price and shook on it, feeling fortunate indeed. A tight budget forces a thoughtful design Our construction budget allowed a house of moderate cost and size-not the cheapest house, but not luxurious by any means. There was no money for features that we didn't use, such as a formal dining room or a two-story foyer. Given this constraint, Winnie and I looked hard at how we really lived, and at what worked and didn't work in our old house. We assumed that at least one of us would work at home in the future, so we needed an office. A two-car garage with space for storing yard equipment was a necessity, and I ended up squeezing a workshop into the basement. We used the porch of our old house as the living room during the summer, so I designed this house with a roomsize screened porch. Our final program was fairly simple: a kitchen; a combined family room and dining room, which we call the day room; a living room; an office; and three bedrooms (photo above; floor plans, p. 95). Forms and elements from a number of sources that we like comprise the design. The living-room bay window, for example, is a Craftsman detail (photo top left, p. 94). This bay's exposed rafters are a detail common with bungalow porches and bays. Visible from inside the house only when you're sitting on the window seat, the exposed rafter tails are a rich surprise unique to that spot. The 6-over-l windows and some woodwork details also reflect Craftsman bungalows. Porch roof shelters the front door and anchors a change in the siding The clapboard siding changes to shakes at the second-floor level, and small square windows tuck under the eaves. These details are common to shingle-style houses that were built in New England around the turn